Rarotonga, Cook Islands, 3 April 2023 - Cook Islands Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, the Hon. Mark Brown, undertook a series of high-level engagements while in Washington, D.C. last week.
Supported by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI) and the Seabed Minerals Authority, Prime Minister Brown met with Senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Anthony Blinken; Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman; Deputy National Security Adviser of the United States, Jon Finer; Deputy Assistant to the President and Indo-Pacific Coordinator for the National Security Council, Dr Kurt Campbell; and Under-Secretary for Economic Growth and Environment, Jose Fernandez.
Discussions across all meetings included progressing formalisation of diplomatic relations between the two countries; economic growth and resilience strengthening prospects, including progress towards full reliance on renewable energy sources and the critical minerals that can help enable this shift; as well as the Cook Islands hosting of the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders and associated meetings later this year; Partners of the Blue Pacific (PBP); and the Australia – United Kingdom – United States (AUKUS) Partnership.
Both sides agreed on the centrality of the Pacific Islands Forum 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent for future regional cooperation initiatives and committed to continuing to work together to support the realisation of PIF aspirations for Pacific peoples, as laid out in the 2050 Strategy.
Last week’s discussions also built on exchanges held in Washington, D.C. in September last year during the historic U.S.-Pacific Leaders Summit hosted by President Biden.
During the Leader’s Summit, attended by Prime Minister Brown and PIF Leaders, President Biden delivered remarks outlining the U.S.’ elevated engagement with the Pacific and recognition of Cook Islands sovereignty for the first time.
“It is important that we continue to build on the momentum provided by the U.S.-Pacific Leaders Summit last year,” stated Prime Minister Brown.
"The recognition of the Cook Islands’ sovereignty, as announced by President Biden was historic, and my meetings last week affirmed our joint commitment to the early completion of necessary domestic processes that will enable an expanded bilateral program and forward collaboration on regional matters that emanate from the Cook Islands assumption of PIF Chair responsibilities.”
MFAI senior and the Cook Islands’ current Acting High Commissioner to New Zealand Piakura Passfield, who travelled to Washington, D.C. to support Prime Minister Brown’s discussions, also met with counterpart U.S. State Department Officials for policy and technical discussions.
“Last week’s discussions were also a welcome opportunity to share with U.S. counterparts the Cook Islands perspectives on AUKUS and PBP,” said Prime Minister Brown.
“The Cook Islands is a parent of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty (The Treaty of Rarotonga), which opened for signature on Hiroshima Day, the 6 August 1985, during the Cook Islands hosting of the then 16th South Pacific Forum.
“The Cook Islands has had a long-held and inter-generational commitment to a nuclear-free Pacific so I was reassured to receive from U.S. counterparts last week assurances that AUKUS would uphold the Rarotonga Treaty.
“On PBP, my priority as Forum Chair is to continue to lead PIF development of the implementation plan to deliver on the 2050 Strategy and progress our Review of the Regional Architecture. Within that priority and our PIF processes, I look forward to working with colleague PIF leaders and PBP partners to ensure PBP is a valuable contributor to delivering outcomes for our Pacific people as detailed in the 2050 strategy”.